


Benefits With Potential Friends

by Miah_Arthur



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Gay Pride, Lucifer Bingo 2019, M/M, Oral Sex, Porn With Plot, Pre-Canon, Romance, Safe is Sexy, Sexual Content, Shower Sex, Spitroasting, Sweet, Threesome - M/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-08
Updated: 2019-06-08
Packaged: 2020-04-19 16:39:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19136587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miah_Arthur/pseuds/Miah_Arthur
Summary: Bill and his partner, Henry, first met Lucifer Morningstar six months into 2011. Even though they mostly have better things to be doing with their mouths than talking during their meetups, Lucifer manages to affect their lives for the better.





	Benefits With Potential Friends

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to my betas, **Hiromystory** and **LaughingLynx**.
> 
> Thank you to Matchstick_Dolly for requesting a Filii Hircus: Lucifer Pride Parade Collection, which prompted me to write this.
> 
> Lucifer Bingo prompt: Touch Starved

 

 

# Benefits With Potential Friends

 

 

Bill Adler fidgeted in the long, colorful line. Rainbow Pride flags, some in color combinations new to Bill, waved amid the chatter while glitter and more rainbows decorated the patrons. He and Henry weren't immune to the general excitement, though they both hated the glitter. Henry grumbled until at least Halloween every year that glitter was the herpes of the crafting world and why did it have to be glitter at every Pride event? He wore a plain grey t-shirt with a small rainbow pin, thoroughly understated in this crowd, even compared to Bill's white t-shirt with the thin vertical rainbow.

Clubs weren’t exactly Bill's thing, but Henry insisted that this one was different. It had been an 'illegal' fight club six months ago. Bill snorted. The only thing illegal about it was some side betting and, if you believed the paper, some fighters taking a dive.

Bill worked in the County Clerk’s office, in permits. The fight club had every t crossed and i dotted on paper. So did this 'Lux', though it might have been a minor miracle getting it pushed through the bureaucracy so quickly.

Henry’s arm slid around his waist. “You’re lost in your head again, love.”

Bill smiled and leaned into it. “It’s just a long line. This place has really gotten a lot of hype for such an odd concept. I mean whoever heard of a piano bar nightclub combo? How does that even work?”

“It’s the owner. Carl said there’s something magnetic about him.”

Bill scoffed. “Let me guess, he’s tall and wears snappy suits? You know how Carl is.”

Henry chuckled. “True. I thought maybe…” He cleared his throat. “Maybe we could find the right guy for....” He trailed off and waggled his eyebrows.

“At a _bar_? Henry, you know how I feel about the one-time hook-ups. What are the odds we’d find some random stranger who’d want to be with us long term?”

Henry tightened his arm, then pulled it away. “It was just a thought. I know how much you like it. You can’t tell me you don’t miss it.”

He sighed. “You know I do. It’s just so fraught finding a guy who’s up for it, making sure he understands. Hell we’re not getting any younger. Pretty soon it’ll look like a couple of geezers hitting on the pretty young things.”

“You’re forty-seven.”

Bill didn’t look at him. He knew the amused but trying not to show it expression Henry would have. He couldn’t hold back the chuckle for long. “I’m being an idiot again?” Henry nodded. “I really needed a night out." He sighed at Henry's continued pointed look. "I guess forty-seven’s not that old anymore.”

Five minutes later, they were walking down the grand staircase listening to a frenetic rendition of "Don’t Stop Me Now." The club heavily featured neon lighting in pinks, blues, and purples with palm trees and suns lit in contrasting colors decorating the space behind the bar. Lush fabrics softened the hard lines of the walls. An old-fashioned Disco ball spun, throwing bits of reflected light across everything. The competing pieces should clash, just like the concept of a piano bar-nightclub, but they worked. 

A spotlight shone on the singer, a tall, slender man weaving in and out of the crowd with the mic, leaning in here, pressing against someone there in a way that went straight to Bill’s groin. He saw Henry drifting to the edge of the circle around the man, so he followed. The man was a head taller than either of them. With his black hair perfectly styled, his dark eyes highlighted with eyeliner, and his perfectly sculpted stubble, Bill agreed with Carl for once. His suit looked expensive in a trendy royal blue color, but didn’t quite fit as well as it should have given the rest of his appearance. The loose jacket seemed to be begging to be shoved down his shoulders to the floor–

Bill startled. The man stared straight at him, something strange and powerful in his gaze. Then he whirled away to the next knot of patrons, and Bill felt a pang of loss.

When the song was over, he said, “Lucifer Morningstar here, folks. That’s right, the actual Devil." Bill shook his head. What a stage name. Still, a man looking like that could call himself whatever he wanted. "Welcome to all my newcomers!" His dropped to a seductive growl that was positively pornographic, as he surveyed the crowd. "I am an _equal opportunity_ Devil. Now, a few more songs! Who’s in the mood for Bowie?” The crowd cheered, though Bill guessed that half of them were too young to even care for Bowie.

Lucifer sat at the piano and sang "Jean Genie" and "Let’s Spend the Night Together." The magnetic pull of him eased enough that Bill remembered they’d intended to drink tonight, and he led Henry over to the bar. While they were waiting, Lucifer kept singing. They found a table on the balcony where they could view him in profile. Henry had a huge grin plastered on his face, tapping his foot along with the music. Bill had to admit that this was worth the long line. As the man kept singing, more and more people flocked to the dance floor. Lucifer left the piano to work the crowd with the mic as he sang "Dancing in the Street." When the song ended, the spotlight cut and the house speakers took over seamlessly.

Bill sighed. Clubs weren’t his thing, but, for this man, he could see himself becoming a regular patron, even with that crazy stage-name. He smiled at Henry, the music too loud now for easy conversation.

Henry looked pointedly at Bill’s nearly empty glass of whiskey and then toward the dance floor. Bill threw back the last gulp of the liquor, though he preferred to savor it, and followed Henry out onto the floor. He spotted Lucifer working the crowd. He’d only thought the way Lucifer moved while singing was sensual and teasing. This...this was sex personified. Everyone seemed to gravitate to him, wanting to touch and be touched. _To take a piece of him_. That threw a damper on Bill’s libido. He’d been the desperate party boy working the crowds once himself.

Resolutely ignoring his mother hen tendencies, Bill focused on Henry, who was flailing about the dance floor. Henry loved it but dancing had never been high on his list of talents. Bill caught his hands and grinned at him, directing the dance into something more in sync with the music. Henry laughed at him but followed along. They’d been together just over twenty years now, and he loved this dork. 

A darker thought flitted through his mind, dimming the fun for a moment. This was the first time they had been on a date in months. They didn’t talk about it, but missing that brief window in 2008 had hit their relationship hard. They’d decided to wait until their twentieth anniversary and the courts had snatched marriage away only a few days before the ceremony.

Henry pulled him close and kissed the join between neck and collarbone. Bill shivered with pleasure as the kisses moved up his neck to capture his mouth, and he pushed away the regrets to make out with his partner on the dance floor like they were still twenty-five. He’d take the triumph of still being here, still being together despite the dangers of the 80s and 90s, despite the heartache of the wedding they might never get. They were here, now, and by god he’d let himself enjoy the moment.

For a while, Bill forgot about Lucifer, but found himself watching him again when they took a break for another drink. He still moved around the floor, group to group, almost as if he were looking for something, and, upon not finding it, moved on to the next and the next. Bill caught a brief flash of a forlorn expression on his face, even as a group of hot young people fawned on him. It disappeared so fast he might have imagined its existence, but a flicker of protective instinct went through him anyway. It ran gibbering in fear back to the deep recesses of his mind where it belonged when a terrifying woman dressed in leather approached Lucifer with a group of giggling boys hanging on her arms. Lucifer looked at them as if considering it but shook his head and directed them toward a group of older men in leather. The woman shrugged and moved her group toward the other men. If the show they put on the dance floor meant anything, it was going to be one hell of an orgy before morning.

“Well, hello. You’re something a bit different, aren’t you?” The club owner’s voice was a sultry purr in Bill's ear. 

Bill pivoted sharply, the club owner stood close, not touching, but very nearly. An image of that forlorn expression flashed through Bill's mind. “Are you okay, Mr. Morningstar?” The words of concern had blurted from his mouth before his brain caught up to them. _Oh shit._ Did he just try to mother hen this rich club owner he had been ogling all night?

“Call me Lucifer, darling. Sweet of you, really….”

“Bill. This is my partner, Henry.”

Lucifer eyed them thoughtfully, then honed in on Bill. “Tell me, Bill, what is it you desire?”

* * * 

Bill stumbled out of the elevator into the penthouse apartment, between Lucifer and Henry. He was wrapped around Lucifer, kissing and sucking at the skin exposed by his partially unbuttoned shirt. Hands ran through Bill's hair and pulled at his clothes, too busy for Bill to keep track of who touched him where. He pressed away from Lucifer who dropped his arms to his sides, and remained very still as Bill took in his surroundings, shocked at the expanse of the place. Another grand piano took center stage, a strange upside down tree chandelier provided most of the lighting, a yellow-hued wall with glass shelves holding decanter after decanter of what he guessed was very expensive alcohol provided the rest. 

A light nip from Henry brought Bill back to task. Bill shoved that suit jacket off Lucifer's shoulders as he had imagined doing earlier and let his hands roam over the warm body underneath. 

With a gasp, Lucifer pulled them toward the steps leading to the large bed. At the base, he stepped to the side, unbuttoning his shirt one-handed with a practised grace. He tossed the shirt to the floor near the end of the bed, his shoes and socks practically disappearing, followed by his pants. Bill groaned when he saw the man had been wearing no underwear. Hearing that Lucifer executed a slow spin, allowing them to get a full view. Bill’s eyes snagged on his back. There was something… But Lucifer continued the spin and Bill’s eyes darted to his ass, his perfect, round ass before he could think about it too much.

Bill could feel Henry’s excitement, not just in the way his dick pressed harder against his ass, but in the tension of his body. It had been far too long since they’d last done this.

Lucifer grinned at them almost maniacally, seeming to enjoy their reactions. He moved to the table beside the bed and pulled a case from the drawer. He opened it before them as one would display a case of fine jewelry or Cuban cigars. “Gentleman, I have here a fine selection of lubes and condoms, all rated safe for intercourse. Flavors are clearly marked on these”–he indicated the more colorful condoms with a flourish, playing up the image of the fine wares dealer–"and these are particularly good for those with impressive girth," he said, pointedly eyeing Henry. 

It was impressive that Lucifer had spotted that even though Henry wore his typical loose-fitted jeans. Henry withdrew with a lingering touch and began stripping his clothes. Bill chose a condom and lube he was familiar with, setting them on the bed and following suit. Lucifer disappeared into another room for a few moments and returned with towels and washcloths. He was intuitive to a degree Bill had never encountered before. Cuddling after sex was nice. Doing it in the middle of a mess, not so much. They were too old to put up with that discomfort interfering these days.

Henry selected two of the flavored condoms, crawled onto the bed and laid on his back. He reached a hand for Lucifer who took it and let Henry maneuver him into kneeling between his legs. Bill watched as Lucifer rolled one of the condoms on himself and then made a show of putting the other on Henry with his mouth, proving he could deep throat as easily as breathe while Henry gripped the sheets in his fists to control himself. Bill watched from the side as Lucifer's head bobbed, his jaw wide and his lips stretched around Henry's fat cock. Henry nodded at Bill, who climbed onto the bed, putting on the condom and rubbing it generously with lube.

Bill slid his dick along Lucifer's crack, spreading lube. He drizzled more, and asked, “You ready, or need some warm up?”

There was a pop of released suction and accompanying groan from Henry. “I’m _always_ ready, darling,” Lucifer said, pressing back against Bill before resuming the blow job.

Bill shook his head. Dramatic bitch. He pressed the head of his cock against Lucifer’s asshole and found almost no resistance. He continued slowly, looking for any sign of discomfort, but saw none. He gave a few slow thrusts and heard Lucifer moan around Henry’s dick. Bill locked eyes with Henry, as he stroked Lucifer’s side with one hand, and gripped his hip with the other, keeping his pace slow and steady. No need for the night to end too soon when they’d found what might be the perfect threesome partner.

Lucifer was loud even with his mouth full. Every moan made Henry paw the bed, desperately trying to delay coming. Bill sped up, savoring the tight heat and pressure, watching Henry coming undone making it hard to hold back his own orgasm. Henry broke first, grabbing Lucifer’s head and holding on while he thrust into his mouth. Bill had been surprised earlier that a man who made his living singing had been agreeable to this part, but Lucifer had merely raised an eyebrow and licked his lips before nodding.

Henry came with a groan and released Lucifer. Bill leaned forward, wrapping his arms around Lucifer from behind to haul him upright so that he was almost sitting in his lap. Henry slid out of the way, sitting up to quickly deal with the condom. Lucifer took his weight onto his knees and Bill thrust up into him, a change in angle making Lucifer throw his head back onto Bill’s shoulder, moaning in wanton abandon. Henry joined them, sandwiching Lucifer between them, kissing Bill as he continued fucking Lucifer.

“I’m close,” Bill said. Lucifer nodded. Henry knelt and began sucking Lucifer as Bill thrust harder and faster, short strokes chasing his orgasm. Lucifer went rigid and shuddered through his orgasm. Bill pounded into him a few more times until the pooling heat in his groin exploded white hot through his senses. When his vision cleared, he carefully pulled out. He and Lucifer disposed of their condoms, then they cleaned up a bit before piling into the bed. 

Lucifer smiled sloppily at them as they leaned over him, kissing. Bill ran his hand in soothing circles around Lucifer’s chest, and Lucifer pressed tighter to him, almost purring. Henry broke off the kiss, flopping onto his back before rolling onto his side, throwing one leg over Lucifer and joining Bill in touching their new third.

Lucifer’s eyes half closed, and all tension left him. His breathing slowed until Bill wondered if he was falling asleep, but then he turned his head and pressed feather light kisses to Bill’s shoulder. His pupils were slightly dilated, and he was finally quiet. With a sigh, he rolled onto his side, pressing himself against Bill, his head pillowed on his shoulder. Henry snugged in behind him, his head on Bill’s outstretched arm, his free hand stroking Lucifer’s flank, lazily.

Henry’s hand soon stilled and Lucifer’s eyes finally slid closed. Bill smiled. The self-proclaimed Devil was a guy in desperate need of a cuddle. He groped for the blanket, found it, and threw it over them without worrying about the lights. It was convenient, then, that he and Henry enjoyed spending the night, holding each other and their partner as much as they did the initial threesome. Finding a partner willing to do this part every couple of months with no further relationship had been frustrating to the point they’d given it up a few years ago after their last third had gotten attached and wanted to be part of their lives in ways they weren’t prepared to share. Down in the club, Lucifer had solemnly proclaimed that he would happily provide exactly what Bill and Henry described, and like the strange feeling that had him confessing all, Bill had sensed that the Devil before him would keep his word.

Seeing the effect their touch had on the man, though... It might be Bill who got attached in the end.

* * *  


Some hours later, Bill woke, his dick achingly hard. Lucifer was still pressed to his side, his arm across Bill taut like a steel band. His breathing was harsh, and his face pressed hard into Bill’s shoulder.  


Nightmare.  


“Lucifer?”  


There was no change, except his arm squeezing even tighter, beginning to be painful. Hoping to wake him gently, Bill brushed his fingers across Lucifer’s cheek. He turned slightly into the touch, the pressure from his arm lessening a fraction. Encouraged, Bill cupped Lucifer’s cheek and stroked through the stubble with his thumb. “ _Lucifer_. Wake up.”  


Lucifer’s breath caught in his throat. The pressure across Bill’s chest vanished, but Lucifer otherwise remained motionless. “Did I harm you?” he asked, his voice quiet.  


“Not at all, man. You were having a bad dream.”  


“Yes.” He blinked, and Bill realized that he hadn’t seen him do so before, but the thought slithered away with an admonition to himself to not be ridiculous.  


Bill shrugged his free shoulder. “It happens.”  


“My thanks for waking me.”

His turn of phrase struck Bill as oddly formal even considering the accent, but Lucifer's gaze drifted down his body and he lost the thought. 

“You, on the other hand, seem to have been having an excellent dream.”

Bill’s erection had flagged while he was waking Lucifer, but it sprang back to attention with the acknowledgement. 

Henry shifted and murmured.

With an appreciative hum, Lucifer said, “So is dear Henry, it seems.”

Henry nuzzled the back of Lucifer’s neck, and mumbled, “Is it time for round two?”

Lucifer shifted his hips backwards, grinding against Henry who gasped out, “Condoms.”

When Henry rolled over to retrieve the condoms, Bill propped himself on his elbow and trailed his fingers along Lucifer’s chest. With a shiver, the strange almost purring sound rumbled through Lucifer's chest again. His eyelids drooped, and he looked up at Bill through his long lashes. 

“Are you alright?”

Lucifer cocked his head and blinked at him in an utterly adorable way.

“The nightmare?” Bill prompted.

“Mmhmm, never better.” 

It was an obvious deflection, but then Lucifer accepted the condoms Henry held out to him, putting one on himself first. Bill squirmed as Lucifer rolled the other condom onto him. How he could do it so slowly and make it sensual instead of frustrating, Bill didn’t know, but he appreciated how hard it must have been for Henry earlier receiving the blow job, and the thought excited him even more. Lucifer nudged Bill’s shoulder, prompting him to roll over.

Being fucked by Lucifer was like a symphony playing on all his senses at once. Bill knew Henry was watching; that was the exciting part of the game. Bill couldn’t hold out long once Lucifer reached around and began jerking him off. He pulled the condom off and let Lucifer press him flat on the mattress, stretched over the top of him, his arms bracketing Bill's head. 

Now it was Henry’s turn, and he lined up behind Lucifer, slowly pushing in, his weight adding to Lucifer’s, pressing Bill into the mattress. Henry’s extra girth didn’t seem to faze Lucifer any more than Bill’s had. Henry moved above them, and Lucifer found his voice again, moaning and grunting as Henry fucked him harder and faster. Bill let himself join in, noises of approval escaping every time Henry’s thrust moved Lucifer’s dick inside him.

Henry slowed and sat up, out of breath. Most of their partners would have already come by now, giving him an excuse to finish, too, or at least change positions. Lucifer had other plans for them, it seemed. He rocked his hips, pulling almost out of Bill and pressing himself further onto Henry's dick. He reached behind him, shifting Henry. Lucifer slowly thrust again and said, “Ah yes, just there will do, if you can hold that position, Henry, darling.” 

He began thrusting faster, changing his angle slightly each time until he hit the right spot. It felt like a jolt of sparks ran up Bill’s spine and spread through his body, wave after wave of it as Lucifer kept up that stroke. Dimly, Bill heard Henry moan, and that pushed him over the edge. His orgasm hit him with a crescendo of electricity that went on and on until all thought left him.

Bill blinked his vision slowly into focus and found Lucifer riding Henry. They both looked at him, Lucifer with a mischievous grin and Henry with barely contained lust. Bill sluggishly rolled over and kissed Henry reverently, his hands cradling his partner's face, their eyes locked. Bill felt Henry get closer and closer until he broke off the kiss and came with a shout. Lucifer stood in one fluid motion, his balance perfect and movements as graceful as a big cat, completely ignoring that he'd just been riding a cock. He stepped off the bed and trotted toward the bathroom. Henry dragged Bill onto his chest, and kissed him with a passion they hadn't shared in too long. 

“Can we keep him?” Henry whispered when Bill finally broke for air.

“How could we not? I’ve still got tingles running through me from that orgasm.”

They heard a shower running. Henry tilted his head that direction then back to Bill. “Think you can get it up again tonight?”

“Did you _see_ that last one? And it was dry! I’m tapped out.”

“Eh, so am I, but we could still help him out. He left hard.”

“Can’t have that; _he_ might not want to keep _us_.”

“Whyever wouldn't I want that?” Lucifer had silently made it up the stairs and was almost, but not quite, touching Henry. He huffed a laugh as they settled themselves from the startle he caused and continued, “The two of you have been lovely, and it’s such a nice change of pace to have a committed couple who knows what they want.” He offered them both a hand. “Would you care to join me in the shower?”

Henry took a mint condom from the display case as he passed it. There was a stack of rubber kneeling planks near the massive walk-in shower, and Bill wondered what all this 'devil' was really into, but he shrugged it off. They had tried mild BDSM long ago, and neither of them had cared for it. This threesome scenario hit all the notes they enjoyed, including getting Lucifer between them as they washed each other. Lucifer responded so strongly to them just running their hands over him, that they couldn’t help wanting to give him more. Eventually, they were both on their knees taking turns sucking his cock. Somewhere dimly, Bill wondered at how Lucifer could seem so starved for the less sexual touches, the casual caresses of a lover, when he obviously had many partners, but the thought was chased away by the positively sinful sounds Lucifer made as he neared his climax.

Bill decided he’d never seen a more beautiful sight than Lucifer Morningstar at this moment. The top of his head and his palms pressed into the wall behind him, bowing his back, stretching his throat to create a long, lean line from his hips to his chin. Water ran down him, the drops catching the light as his chest heaved. His mouth hung open and a steady stream of pleasured sounds escaped him.

Lucifer’s breathing hitched and Bill imagined he could play the tension in the line of Lucifer’s body with a bow. Bill felt the heat of the come even through the latex, and wondered how Lucifer managed so much of it after all the other orgasms of the night. The tension snapped and Lucifer pulled out of Bill’s mouth with a long, satisfied sigh. He collapsed to his knees, panting. With a lascivious smile, he threw his arms around their necks and leaned in, in a sultry tone he said, “You chaps are most certainly welcome here, _any_ time.”

Bill’s dick twitched. Whether it was the praise or the sheer aura of the man, he wasn’t sure, but blood was rushing to the area. Bill looked at his cock in disbelief. He wasn’t exactly young anymore. He hadn’t expected to be able to get another erection for hours at least.

Lucifer leaned in appreciatively. “Looks like you lot are ready to turn the tables on me.”

Bill leaned in to meet that wonderfully filthy mouth, but he remembered himself. No kissing their third kept it stable between him and Henry the morning after. He sucked hungrily at Lucifer’s throat instead.

“No more condoms with us in the shower,” Bill gasped between kisses.

Lucifer pushed him back so they could see eye to eye. “You don’t really want to forego a shower blowjob from the Devil do you?”

Bill shook his head.

“What do you really want?”

“I…”

“Yes?”

“I want to see your mouth around my dick and my come painted across your pretty face.”

“Well now, that’s an easily achieved desire. Up you pop.” He punctuated his declaration by gripping Bill under the arms and setting him on his feet.

Bill steadied himself with hands pressed to the wall against the sudden shift. How had Lucifer done that? He must have drifted a moment, because Henry appeared next to him almost by magic. He, too, had managed another erection.

Lucifer was good with his mouth, Bill had to give him credit for that. It wasn’t easy to balance taking care of two at once, but he never missed a beat, even bringing them off at the same time. Bill jacked himself through the orgasm, the sight of their come across Lucifer’s face, deepening the thrill. He grasped Lucifer’s chin and tilted his face up. He looked up at them with the same come fuck me expression he’d given them most of the night as he stroked himself. His head fell back, and he groaned as he came again.

Bill offered him a hand up, and they all separated to wash again. By the time he was putting his shoes on, the aches and realities of going on fifty were setting in. A glance at Henry wincing as he reached for his jacket told Bill that he was feeling the long night, too. Lucifer appeared carrying a plate in each hand. He wore a robe loosely tied around his middle, and had a spring in his step. There were no signs of fatigue or soreness about him, which made Bill’s shoulder twinge just for spite. Lucifer placed the plates on the bar with a flourish.

“Gentleman, how do you take your coffee?”

Henry quickly said, “Cream and lightly sugared.”

Bill stared for a long moment before he caught up. “Black, please.”

While they had been searching for their clothes and shuffling through getting dressed, Lucifer had poached eggs and made avocado toast. He had set a proper informal place setting with bowls of fruit and yogurt in the place of a bread plate. Cloth napkins, silverware that Bill suspected might be actual silver, and juice in fancy glasses were arranged neatly. Bill exchanged a look with Henry, and the question that had niggled at his mind all night finally made it to the forefront. Who exactly was Lucifer Morningstar? 

The man in question returned with cups of coffee on saucers. Then he ducked back through a doorway which presumably led to the kitchen to retrieve his own food and coffee. “Eat up, gentlemen. I don’t cook for just anyone.”

* * *

When they made it home, they fell into bed and slept most of the day, woke up, ate, and mutually agreed that going back to bed for the night was the best course. On Monday, Henry went to work as an assistant swim coach at UCLA. Bill returned to the Clerk’s office. He felt lighter than he had in a long time. The world was a bit brighter.

Their sex life improved after their night with Lucifer. Bill noticed that they both put more effort into touching and the caresses that changed it from meaningless sex to making love. Their love life had been almost rote 'you got off, I got off, good, we’re done here' sort of sex for years, but now fulfilling each others desires reverberated through it. 

When they went back to Lux, they watched Lucifer sing about the Devil. The decor had been toned down with Pride Month left behind; the neon turned off and the Disco ball removed. The spotlight on the host remained the most important in the house. Lucifer found them immediately after he finished his set. The second night was just as good as the first.

They returned every few weeks, and every time Lucifer melted at their touches. Some nights, they pleaded their age and spent more time holding him than they did on sex. He didn’t tease for more sex the way he had at first, though he never asked to be held either. He actually never asked for anything, just seemed to anticipate whatever they were up for, even if they didn’t always know ahead of time they had wanted it.

Each time they met he seemed as surprised as the first that they offered touch outside their own pleasure, and each time Bill’s heart grew a little more traitorously attached.

* * *

In December of the second year they knew Lucifer, Henry caught the minimalist bug and insisted they clean out all of their closets. Deep back in a dusty corner, they found a small metal box. _Hollingsworth v. Perry_ was under review by the Supreme Court. They took the box to the couch and sat together, staring at it for some time. Finally, Bill unlatched it and flipped the lid open. The remains of their aborted wedding were inside. 

Bill set the jewelry box to the side. He picked up the photo album and opened it to the first page. He’d cried over these pictures many times before the box had been banished to that dusty corner. He expected the images of them smiling and looking at each other with such joy would spark another round today, but...it didn’t. That dark ball of guilt and what ifs and should haves ghosted through his mind and found no purchase. Instead, thoughts of sitting together on the couch laughing at Ron Swanson, walking the dog holding hands like they weren’t fifty years old (Lucifer's voice interjected: _Never act your age! Who_ cares _what others think!_ ), taking that cruise ( _What are you waiting for,_ really _, to retire and be too old to enjoy it? Live your life without regrets!_ ), all tumbled to the forefront.

He brushed his thumb over the protective cover of the photo. Their friend Donna took a whole pre-wedding roll of pictures for them. Five years ago, Henry’s beard hadn’t been shot through with grey. The wrinkles around his own eyes hadn’t been so pronounced. He should make a collage and hang it above the couch. He glanced over to Henry, brooding next to him, waiting for the inevitable storm.

Except.

There was none. He smiled and grasped Henry’s hand. “Remember that day? The wind? The kid that kept throwing the frisbee?”

Henry scooted closer. “You’re...not upset?”

“I thought I would be. For a long time, I thought we could never be as happy as we were in these pictures again. I thought I had ruined our future by insisting we wait for our anniversary.” He set the album down and snuggled into Henry’s side. “I was wrong.”

* * *

Seven months later the Supreme Court had spoken at last, and they visited Lucifer wearing their rings.

He made it the best night of their lives. Again.


End file.
